Bay Bridge Bad Bolts

Twenty-four years after the Loma Prieta earthquake, billions of dollars later and – most recently – a bit of drama over bad bolts, multiple well-placed transportation sources told KPIX 5 on Wednesday evening that the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge will indeed open on Labor Day weekend.

The federal government is giving the California Dept. of Transportation approval to move ahead on a plan to fix bad bolts on the Bay Bridge, KPIX 5 has learned, and the solution could allow the bridge to reopen as originally planned just after the Labor Day Weekend.

It looks like an answer won’t be coming anytime soon as to whether or not the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge will be able to open as scheduled come Labor Day. Public reaction about the use of questionable bolts on the $6 billion span has transportation officials seeking to reassure the community that safety is the top priority.